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The Good Time Place

Boing Boing has a story about a site (almost dead itself) that archives pictures of defunct amusement parks. One park featured on the site is Old Chicago, an enclosed theme park/ shopping mall. The building is now gone.

I went to OC a lot when I was a kid. I was always amazed that I could go to this amusement park any time of year no matter what the weather. OC helped me overcome many of my “ride fears.” By the last time I went (must have been 9 or 10) I could ride anything that spun. I still wasn’t able to do loop-d-loop roller coasters — that would have to wait for a fateful encounter with Great America’s infamous Tidal Wave some years later. But I imagined if I ever could, I would touch the ceiling…

My sister and I had a running competition to see who could attend OC the most times. I think she won.